I felt myself waking up. I didn’t want to open my eyes. I stretched out, my bed was warm. I just wanted to lie there. So I did, drifting in and out of sleep. I don’t know how long. Eventually I felt my conscience resurfacing enough to open my eyes. I looked up at the dim vaulted stone ceiling above. I remembered where I was. The same patterns and glyphs fading in and out of sight on the walls and ceiling.

  The good news was that we were capable of sleeping while we were thought-casting. We were still stuck in Simon’s mind palace, but I could definitely feel that the sleep had done me some good. I felt refreshed. I looked around, a couple of the others were already awake. Ross had cast himself a ridiculously lavish four poster bed that looked like something a medieval king might sleep in.

  I sat up. I looked across at Chen. She was sitting up in her bed already, and had cast herself a reading lamp and some headphones. She was reading a book. She must have been awake for a while already. Winsford’s bed was already gone. He’d cast himself a chin up bar and some exercise gear, and was going through what must have been his regular routine.

  “Dude” I said. “What’s the point of doing chin ups here?”

  “Discipline of the mind, Peterson. Discipline of the mind” he said, as he kept on going. “Set the AI to make you feel the lactic burn, and you still have to push through the pain.”

  I stood up and stretched my arms, my bed evaporating behind me at a mental command. I felt hungry. I guess my mind expected it after sleeping.

  “Sophie, do we need to eat in here? And does it help?”

  She was sitting quietly to the side of the room, still distractingly beautiful, even though I knew she was AI now. It kind of annoyed me. She had an office desk set up, as though she was working on something. I guess she was programmed to be doing something that would help set us at ease.

  She looked across at me. “Good morning, Peterson. Your body in the real world still needs food, but you haven’t been under long enough to start feeling the effects of that in the VR realm yet, even though you’d be ravenously hungry if you woke up in the real world right now. Automatons will have already been hydrating your body, and they are programmed to start you on a nutrient and protein supplement in a few hours time. Your body will have everything it needs. I recommend that you eat something. It won’t affect you in the real world, but it will send a message to your mind that should ease the sensations you’re feeling right now.”

  I cast a breakfast wrap into my hand. Double eggs, fresh hot bacon, melting cheese, bbq sauce, and a hash brown. Perfection. The wrap was slightly crispy. Not too hot, not too cold. My stomach grumbled, and my subconscious apparently cast the sensation of smell into the room.

  “Dude” Ross mumbled from his four post bed. “Hook me up!” I cast one to appear next to his head on the pillow.

  “Muchos gratias amigos!” he said, as he sat up and took a bite.

  As beds and gear evaporated, we all stood up and looked at each other. My breakfast tasted sooo good.

  “What now, fearless leader?” Ross garbled through a mouth full of food, simultaneously casting himself a cup of coffee. Good idea. I followed suit, and my favourite mug materialised into my hand with the best cup of coffee I’d ever tasted. I lifted my cup slightly at Ross, in acknowledgment of his good idea. He returned the gesture with a grin.

  “Sophie, how long have we been down here real time?” Winsford asked.

  “We began this session of thought-casting at 9:30am yesterday real time. It is currently 6:30am real time the day after. During sleep, your time perception here and in the real-world re-aligned. We’re back to approximately two or three times perception speed now that you’re awake again.”

  I couldn’t believe it. It felt like we’d been down here the better part of a week. I guess it made sense. Sort of.

  “We should follow Simon’s advice. We need to find a way out of this room, and keep moving, try and find a way out of this place. No risks – let’s not try any portals in here if we find them. Once we make it to Simon’s forest, we should be in a much more normal environ” he said.

  “Nice plan” said Ross. “One problem: we’re trapped in a mind palace created by the greatest mnemonist alive. And he’s gone. Can’t go back, we’ll just get lost. Can’t move forward – no options. How are we supposed to get out of here? Even after Simon disappeared, we didn’t get some magical door opening up to let us out.”

  “You’re forgetting one thing, Ross” Winsford said, with a sardonic grin. “We’ve got access to the best AI systems that money can buy. Not even Simon can compete with that. Sophie, what’s our best bet?” Winsford asked.

  Sophie folded her hands on the desk. “The cool change after our experience with Captain Everett’s environ could mean that all we need to do is wait. The environ itself may bring the change. On the other hand, this room could possibly be a puzzle. Would you like me run a diagnostic analysis on the symbology of the walls? I may detect something useful.”

  “Do it” Winsford said.

  I’d been thinking about the experiences with Everett and Simon. I was about ready to share my theory.

  “What if the desert town environ, and Simon’s elevator aren’t a normal subconscious manifestation?” I asked. “What if it’s more of a manifestation of guilt?”

  Ross and Chen looked thoughtful. Winsford arched his eyes skeptically.

  “Think about it. I’m not so sure about Simon, but there was definitely something wrong beneath surface with Everett. I mean, what did he do to that woman in the Burqa?”

  There was an uncomfortable silence.

  “It is plausible” Sophie said, “though guilt doesn’t seem like the right term. Perhaps moral injury or unresolved trauma. But the idea makes some sense.”

  “It’s… that means… it would be basically hell” Chen said.

  “So you’re saying – obviously – Everett was a bad dude, and got what he deserved”, said Ross. “Doesn’t make sense with Simon, though. Nobody’s perfect, but he’s hardly committed war crimes has he?”

  SSQQRREEAAAK.

  We all looked up as a dim beam of light shone down from the high ceiling. A portal had opened, as though we were looking up from the bottom of a sewer, and someone had opened up the man hole above us. A face appeared in the light, and a rope ladder unfurled and dropped down to the floor.

  We all watched in fascination as a purple robed figure with a pointed hat made his way quickly down the ladder. He dropped the last few feet, stood up, and dusted off his sleeves.

  “Kendrick of Pendragon, at your service my lords and lady.” He bowed, almost comically, with a broad sweep of his pointed hat.

  “And who are you supposed to be?” Ross asked.

  “I am help!” he said. “At least… that will do for now. I am a glove! I am not. I am…” he said, gesturing toward Sophie, “as she was. I am Kendrick the Magician, and I am at your service” he said, bowing again.

  “Wait…” I said, “What do you mean you were as she was?” I asked, tilting my head toward Sophie.

  “She was what I am, and I am what she was. At least… sometimes. She is not. She also is a glove. She is it.”

  “If that’s true, how can we trust you any more than we can trust her?” said Ross.

  “Touche” the wizard said. “You” he said, spinning on his heels, and walking hastily around us in a circle, “are stuck! And I” he continued, “am here to help you get unstuck! It is quite simple. You can come with me, or you can… not!” he said. “I don’t recommend the ‘not’.”

  “Sophie” Winsford asked, “What’s your read on this guy? Are we dealing with another Mad Hatter type situation?”

  She looked at the Magician intently for a moment, her face expressionless.

  This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

  “His structure seems inconsistent with an external or artificial intelligence. He’s most likely a subconscious manifestation.”

  “Why, of course, of course,” the Magician said, gesticulating with enthusiasm, “I quite understand your hesitation. A healthy skepticism is the mark of sensible minds, and you are all positively brimming with sensibility, I’m sure. Entirely reasonable. And yet...” he continued, eyes twinkling as he looked up toward the circle of light above, “...there is a way out of Simon’s mind palace, and perhaps even of your present somewhat woeful circumstances, winding and improbable though it may be” he said. “Furthermore… I assure you with the utmost sincerity that its direction is not forward, nor sideways, nor inward—but unmistakably and gloriously, up.”

  “Maybe he is another Hatter”, said Ross, “and maybe Simon’s right. This could be just be the next lemming off the cliff. But we do need a way out of Simon’s palace, and I don’t see any other options. I say we take a look, and revise the plan as we go.”

  “For once”, Winsford said, “I’m with Ross. I say we move. Reassess as we go. We have to find a way out of here.”

  “I’m in”, said Chen.

  Everyone looked at me.

  “Lead on”, I said. “Like Ross says, not like there are any other options.”

  “Splendid!” said Kendrick with a clap, springing for the ladder. He climbed nimbly up, and we followed behind a little… less nimbly.

  As I came through the manhole, I looked up and gasped. Far, far above I could see another portal of light, like the manhole we’d just come through, but infinitely greater. It was massive!! We were at the bottom of an immense cylindrical structure, as though at the bottom of some giant well. I noticed pathways of stone jutting out from the sides, spiraling up around the ever-curving wall.

  “Behold the ascent!”, Kendrick’s voice echoed and bounced upward into the expanse. “My lords and lady, brave climbers all!

  Step lightly, step true, where shadows hold sway,

  Hesitation will crumble the path on the way!

  Trust is the timber, a stone without sight,

  Each ledge and each spiral, on which to alight.

  The higher you climb, the firmer the ground,

  Yet doubt can undo what your courage has found.

  These words, don’t forget, can guide every move,

  Your steps will test spirit, my words you must prove!”

  “So we’re climbing up… right?” Ross asked.

  “That is how a less poetic soul would say it, yes” said Kendrick.

  He led us across a great stone courtyard to a metal rung ladder build into the wall of the structure itself.

  “This will take you to the first platform, it’s up to you from there. See you at the top, if you make it!” And with a puff of smoke, he vanished!

  We peered up the ladder, which ascended about 20 metres to the first platform of stone. “Flight would be handy right about now” said Ross.

  “Let’s not waste any more time”, said Winsford, “We’ve gotta move.” His hands slapped and rang on the cold metal as he began climbing.

  Not that anyone particularly noticed, but I wasn’t feeling too great about this. I hung back until last. It was weird. Here we were, in a world where I could literally create anything I could imagine, but I couldn’t make my fear of heights go away! I’ve always had this problem. Even in games it was sometimes a struggle, which is why I didn’t usually play or make realistic height sims. Flight sims, or anything unrealistic was fine. Even Chen’s old-school Flux-run had been OK. But this… this looked so real it might as well have been real. Didn’t help to know that there were no pain dampeners here either.

  I closed my eyes, and took a deep breath. Maybe I can cast the sensation away. I felt the cold steel under my palm, and smelled – almost tasted – the metal tang.

  “Peterson”, Ross called down, “you good?”

  “All good” I called back, trying to sound normal. I think it worked. I hope it worked. I closed my eyes again for a moment, and I tried to cast my fears away as I would cast anything else in the world of thought-casting. It was about as effective as trying to tell your fear to go away in the real world. Didn’t help that pain-dampeners weren’t turned on down here. Would we die if we fell from too high?

  I tried to stop thinking. Just need to move. It was Everett’s training that came back to me in that moment. Just break it down into steps, one rung at a time. Clang, as my hands slapped onto the metal, and thud as my boots moved up. Clang. Thud. Clang. Thud. Ross reached down a hand to help hoist me up onto the stone platform. Not that any of us actually needed the help, but I appreciated the connection.

  “Sophie”, Ross said, “with no pain dampeners, I’m guessing that if we fell from up here, we would actually die, right?”

  “Yes. Although I would recommend engaging in flight. You may get scrambled and lost in the subconscious, but it is better than the alternative.”

  “Right. On that cheery note,” I opted in, “why don’t we get this over with?” I wasn’t the most talkative member of the group, but I was nervous and feeling jittery.

  “What about using a rappel? Or grappling or something?” Ross asked.

  “In normal thought-casting, that would work. In the subconscious, we can’t effect the environ easily. It may work, but it might not. Given the risk, I don’t think that you should try that option” said Sophie.

  “What about if we cast a giant inflatable landing couch?” I said.

  “That”, said Ross, “… might actually work.”

  “That’s correct”, Sophie affirmed. Ok. Good to know that we wouldn’t be transported into subconscious oblivion if things went wrong.

  I tuned out what the others were saying and looked over at our next move. There was a five metre gap between our platform and the next, but it wasn’t the gap initially that spooked me. It was the platform itself. As I focused on it, I noticed that it was flickering. Sometimes transparent, sometimes looking solid. Not something I was particularly delighted to see.

  “Guys” I said, “Is anyone noticing the… uh… semi-disappearing next platform?”

  Everyone looked across.

  “Yet doubt can undo what your courage has found” murmered Chen. “I think we’ve got to make the leap, and trust: Trust is the timber, a stone without sight.”

  “Let’s see” said Winsford. And with that, he took a running leap, cleared the gap, and landed safely! The ground still flickered beneath his feet, but he stood firm.

  Ross looked across at me. “You have to let it all go, Peterson. Fear. Doubt. Disbelief. Free your mind.” He leapt, and landed next to Winsford. Chen made it easily, as did Sophie. I felt sick. Close my eyes. Breath deep. You’ve got this. All right. No problem.

  I started my run up, but all I could do was look at the gap. I jumped. “Yyaaahhhh!!” I wasn’t going to make it! I reached out to grab for the platform, my hands made the edge and… passed straight through!! Everybody dropped in an instant! I was tumbling through the air, my mind in a panic! PHUFF-THUNK!! Thankfully, somebody had cast our landing pad. I hadn’t even had time to process it. As I lay down panting on my back, I wanted to sink through the floor and disappear.

  I rolled off the blow-up landing pad, trying to avoid eye-contact. I was angry with myself. Embarrassed.

  “What the hell was that, Peterson!” said Winsford.

  “Dude!” Ross interjected, “Give him a break! Obviously that was tough for him!”

  Ross turned to look at me, Chen was looking at me too, her face etched with concern. “Don’t worry about it man”, said Ross, “You’ve got this, we’re ok. Just treat it as though… you know… as though the stone wasn’t a semi-disappearing platform through which you might plummet to your death at any second. Easy.” He grinned.

  “Huh” I laughed. “Thanks Ross.” I felt like garbage, but I was thankful for his words. I looked over, Winsford was already climbing again. “We haven’t got all day. Let’s go people” he called back over his shoulder.

  I took the jump first on our next attempt. No point setting everyone up for another fall. I failed again. Thankfully I had the presence of mind this time to cast my own giant, blow-up couch thingy. The others were ready too. This was getting more and more embarrassing.

  “Maybe you guys should start going ahead. I’ll catch up when I can” I said. Winsford didn’t need a second invitation, he got moving straight away. “No way dude, we’re with you” said Ross. “Yeah, we’re in it together”, said Chen. Relief flooded through me.

  I failed again. And again. It felt hopeless. How can you beat your own mind?

  I climbed up the ladder again. Clang. Thud. Clang. Thud. I got to the top. I didn’t want to look at the gap, I didn’t want to look at the flickering stonework. I leaned back against the wall, sliding down on my haunches, head in my hands.

  “Cailin.” It was Chen. “Look at me.” I looked up. I didn’t want to, but I looked up. She locked eyes with me, and held out her hand. “Look at my feet. What are they doing?”

  I looked down at the flickering stone work. Her feet were planted firmly.

  “I’m not falling through, and neither will you.”

  I looked up into her eyes again. I think I began to believe in that moment. I rose up off my haunches. I kept my eyes on her. “You can do this”, she said.

  I moved back to begin my sprint, I ran. I focused on my legs, releasing strength into them. Anything is possible.

  I leaped. I kept my eyes on her outstretched hands. We connected. And… my feet landed on something solid! I kept my eyes closed, just feeling the stones for a moment. Chen kept my hands. I opened my eyes. She was smiling. I think it was her smile that kept my feet on the ground when I saw the transparency of the stones again.

  “You’ve got this”, she said.

  “I… thanks.” I let go slowly, keeping my mind grounded in the feeling of the stones. She took a step back, and I stood still for a moment.

  “Ok. I think I can do this. Let’s try for the next one.” Step by step, one platform at a time, we started moving up. Ross and Chen were there to meet me at the end of every jump. It got harder the higher we got, but it also got easier.

  At the last platform, another metal ladder was waiting for us. We climbed up to the lip, and I felt bitumen under my fingers as I hauled myself up onto a familiar looking street-scape.

  “My man.” I slapped my hand into Ross’, relief washing through me.

  “Where are we?” I asked. We all looked around. It felt familiar.

  “It’s Winsford-topia! We’re in Winsford-topia!” Ross exclaimed.

  “We’re out!” he said. “We’re out of the subconscious!!”